We have just completed our joint programme in Yekaterinburg with the Foreign Minister of Germany and OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

We discussed primarily international issues, giving special attention to the developments in Ukraine. It has to be said that these developments are a matter of grave concern. We discussed objectives aimed at promoting the settlement of this crisis by synchronising initiatives to implement the Minsk agreements in order to ensure regional security and advance the political process and reforms.

We have also looked at the prospects and possibilities for reviving dialogue in the Normandy format, which, as you know, could not have been unaffected by the recent incursion into Crimea of Ukrainian commandos, which cost the lives of Russian servicemen.

We discussed ways to end provocations in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine and facilitate a settlement by enhancing security and strengthening the OSCE mission’s monitoring of the safety zone and locations where heavy weapons are stored, as well as promote direct dialogue between the Kiev authorities and representatives of Donetsk and Lugansk in keeping with the Package of Measures as approved in Minsk in February 2015.

The second item that was high on our agenda was Syria. We still believe that we should prevent international terrorist groups from gaining the upper hand there and create conditions for genuine negotiations between all sides in Syria and under UN leadership, as required by the UN Security Council resolution to this effect. Of course, all this requires strengthening the ceasefire regime. One of the most urgent goals is to resolve the humanitarian issues in many parts of Syria, including Aleppo.

We have informed our German friends of the steps Russia has been taking in its contacts with the US. As you know, Russia and the US are co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) that also includes Germany. Russia strongly believes that one of the main objectives that has long been viewed as pressing, but has yet to be achieved, is separating moderate opposition forces from ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra. The latter has recently rebranded itself as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, which did nothing to change the nature of this group. We are also concerned about the fact that many moderate opposition activists are coordinating their actions with these terrorists with increased frequency.

As I already said, we discussed the situation in Aleppo. We hope that the joint efforts of Russia, the United States and other Western countries, other countries in the region and the UN will help us ease civilians’ plight and not allow the militants who are in control of part of the city and the region to dictate their terms.

I would like to say that we appreciate the role of Germany’s OSCE chairmanship this year, including such aspects of it as the work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine. In general, we support the agenda put forward by Germany during its OSCE chairmanship as part of preparations for the next Foreign Ministers Council meeting that will take place in Germany in December this year.

We brought up a number of issues which are on our bilateral agenda. We discussed the development of our relations in this, speaking honestly, complicated period in political, cultural, humanitarian, historical and memorial areas. It is important because we, our German colleagues and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier pay great attention to resolving issues, particularly humanitarian ones, remaining from World War Two. We have a number of very useful joint projects, including the support of former concentration camp prisoners and work to find out what happened to [many] Russian and German prisoners of war and interned people. I would like to repeat that this is important for consolidating the public’s sentiments in both countries where, of course, people are in favour of historical reconciliation between our countries.

We agreed to encourage contacts between the ministries and regions of the Russian Federation and the state of the Federal Republic of Germany. I believe that German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s interest in the work in Russian regions should receive full support.

Question: A week after the events in Crimea we still know very little about what happened except for the information from Russian intelligence, which is the only source. What information does the German Government have? What details can Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov mention?

Sergey Lavrov: I understand everyone always wants to have more sources of information so as to compare the facts and make the picture more objective. I hope the German media are interested not only in Crimea but also other issues as regards Russia’s actions in different circumstances and its domestic situation. It is always good to have many sources of information.

Indeed, we are not concealing what we know. You said you don’t know anything except for what was provided by the Russian side. We presented the individuals who were detained, their testimonies, their depots in Crimea with arms, ammunition and other devices that are usually used by suicide bombers. All these facts were broadcast by our television, as I mentioned today to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. I am confident that German Ambassador to the Russian Federation Rüdiger von Fritsch-Seerhausen, who is present here, and his staff monitor these materials and probably consider them in their reports to the German Foreign Ministry.

Naturally, we cannot show everything but we can supplement what you see on television – irrefutable evidence that this was an act of subversion that the Ukrainian Defence Ministry’s Main Intelligence Directorate has long planned to destabilise Russian Crimea. We are ready to present other facts in addition to those that were made public to our Western partners who are seriously interested in preventing such incidents in the future. It is necessary to exert pressure on Kiev to this end. Ukraine has its Supreme Commander-in-Chief, who is in charge of the Defence Ministry and all of its departments. This is just stating the obvious.

We appreciate Germany’s interest – confirmed today by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier – in preventing such incidents in the future. However, regardless of how our Western partners will work with their friends in Kiev, we are doing all we can on instructions from President Vladimir Putin to nip such incursions into our territory in the bud.

Question: How likely is it that Russia and Ukraine will sever diplomatic relations?

Sergey Lavrov: I don’t think this is a situation where anyone is interested in breaking off diplomatic relations. That would be an extreme measure. I think the main goal now is to avoid succumbing to emotions or taking extreme courses of action but to work for stabilisation in a restrained and consistent manner. As I said, we will and are already doing this in Crimea regardless of what conclusions our Western partners and colleagues in Kiev will draw from the events of ten days ago.

I am in favour of focusing efforts on returning to the sequencing and the substance of the Minsk agreements in all aspects of the situation – security and political settlement. I am referring to Eastern Ukraine rather than Crimea. Germany and Foreign Minister Steinmeier personally have done very much for the implementation of the Minsk agreements. Last year’s summit of the Normandy Four in Paris produced the “Steinmeier formula”. The German Foreign Minister suggested finding generally acceptable ways of essentially granting special status to Donbass – a task set by the Minsk agreements. We enthusiastically supported this idea. Regrettably, now the implementation of this formula is being impeded by the authorities in Kiev that are again trying to revise the Minsk agreements.

I do not favour steps that will generate a lot of media attention but will hardly facilitate the implementation of the tasks that we all have agreed upon and that we all want to see translated into reality.

“The main issue is not that there’s anyone unwilling to alleviate the humanitarian situation, but it is of utmost importance that terrorists would not be getting reinforced with militants, guns and munition supplies under the humanitarian aid disguise,” Lavrov said

“The main results of those pauses was an insignificant relief in the humanitarian situation, while terrorists added 7,000 people to their ranks, not to mention huge amounts of arms and munitions they received,” he said.

Russia ready to provide more evidence of Ukrainian incursions into Crimea

As tensions have increased around Crimea in recent days, Lavrov said he does not believe that raising the stakes in Russia-Ukraine relations would help reconciliation.

“I do not think we are in a situation when someone is interested in breaking diplomatic relations. These are extreme measures,” he noted.

Russia has “serious concerns” over recent developments in Ukraine, per se, Lavrov said, while proposing that both Russia and Germany unite their efforts to resolve the conflict and “synchronize steps” to implement the Minsk agreement, “including in political process and political reform [in Ukraine].”

Lavrov said that “NATO’s policy to move eastward at any cost deepens division lines in Europe.”

Russia’s top diplomat said the bloc seems to be unwilling to restore dialogue with Moscow. “The Russia-NATO Council [format] is frozen. The fact that a couple of ambassadorial meetings took place changed nothing. NATO does not want to discuss restoring relations.”

He stressed that it was not Russia that had decided to break ties, adding that “our Western colleagues have admitted that it was a mistake.”

Lavrov said Russia is determined to revive dialogue, even on its own: “At the Russia-NATO Council meeting last month, we came up with specific proposals to restore military cooperation, first of all, and to build trust in that regard.”

He was optimistic about Russia’s relations with the EU.

“Europe is becoming increasingly confident that there is no alternative to normalization of relations [between Russia and the EU] and reviving cooperation mechanisms,” he said.

The Russia’s foreign minister also noted that “Germany is our key partner, not only in European affairs, but also in tackling the global challenges of today, including conflict resolution, combatting international terrorism, and extremism.”

The Essential Saker II: Civilizational Choices and Geopolitics / The Russian challenge to the hegemony of the AngloZionist Empire

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“When on February 20, the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) appeared in public at the side of Svoboda leader Oleh Tiahnybok, he lent that party social respectability as an acceptable cooperation partner. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[9]) A few days ago, former EU-Commissioner, Günter Verheugen (SPD), was unambiguous in his views concerning Svoboda. It is a fatal “violation of a taboo” to accept “real fascists in a government,” Verheugen declared: “Integrating radical forces, has gone terribly wrong more than once in European history. This should not be forgotten.”[10]”http://german-foreign-policy.com/en/fulltext/58732

No need to talk with Germany anymore they are just vassals of a NATO/US occupied Germany.
They have no freedom to act or even to speak freely.
Germans are acting against the will of a good deal of the german population as for the refugees and other subjects.
More blablabla.

I watched this live and Lavrov got a few subtle digs in during the conference. Walter is just a US stooge who has no say. Lavrov kept saying Russia would speak to the US and UN about humanitarian aid. The US about this or that in Syria etc. Which was basically saying that Germany has no say in anything. In regard to Crimea he also said when someone attacks “our land” – Walter sat there looking uncomfortable and didn’t correct Sergey.

There were a few “Western” plants (journalists) with their questions – who Lavrov put in their place. He uses diplomatic langauage brilliantly sadly some just don’t get it as they are used to the bombastic and rude way the US speaks.

Eventually Merkel will be gone and Germany could then convince Poland to reverse the monopoly ruling?

“With foreign partners Gazprom in the Nord Stream pipeline project 2 — the Anglo-Dutch Shell, Austria’s OMV, French and German Engie Uniper and Wintershall — had withdrawn a petition to the Polish Antimonopoly regulator UOKiK. The company asked for UOKiK to allow them to set up a joint venture Nord Stream AG 2 — project structure that needs to build a pipeline through the Baltic sea. While a Swiss-registered Nord Stream AG, 2 fully owned by Gazprom and Western partners have not yet entered into its capital. The need for solution of the Polish regulator was due to the fact that Gazprom, Shell and the German companies have substantial business in Poland. “

Obviously, this hostile activity is coordinated with the United States and NATO, which want to unleash a new war on the border with Russia. At the same time, the US leadership believes that Russia will not inflict a crushing defeat on Ukraine and thereby objectively lower its status in the geopolitical confrontation by trying to solve an insolvable conflict. At the same time, the United States wants to show ”Russia’s aggressiveness” to Europe.

What can be said? I’ve always been of the opinion that nothing good comes from just talking to the West. Their entire strategy from the start of this crisis has been to stall as much as possible.They hope to wear Russia down with endless talk while creating “facts on the ground”. I said many months ago that leaving the junta in power would expose Russia to attacks.And now we see the terrorist operations in Crimea. They are small now,but will get larger the longer they have to gain experience doing them.The Russians have also began to worry over other Russian border areas on the Ukrainian border . How long until terrorists decide to strike there.They see that they can kill Russian soldiers without a Russian response.That alone will say to them they should go forward with attacks.They don’t have to win in Crimea,they can’t do that. All they have to do is spread fear and terror there.Make it harder and more expensive on Russia protecting that land.

At the beginning of the Ukrainians moving troops into Donbass. The Russian military moved troops to the border. The Ukrainians pulled back. They feared Russia would stop them attacking the civilians in Donbass.But after the Western “pardners” condemned Russia for “aggression” in moving” their own” troops to near the border,the Russians removed them.The Ukrainians “rightly” figured from that,they had a free hand to attack Donbass,and they did.Two years later we see only half or even a third of Donbass still free from the junta fascists.The rest of the people,enslaved to fascist rule over them.And daily shelling of the free areas,without the Ukrainians being stopped.They have broken every agreement made at Minsk 1 and 2. And they’ve gotten away with that.They don’t need to win there either. They just need to keep Donbass in fear and under attack. With Russia having to spend money protecting it.Though how that is called protection,is a bit of a stretch.Maybe a better term would be,stopping it from falling completely.

Many people,inside and outside,Russia warned that would happen. So its no giant surprise that any of these things are taking place. The disappointing surprise is that we still see the inadequate policy of talking alone still being followed.When your enemies strategy is to talk and stall.Helping them in that strategy is ,in my opinion,the wrong move to make. We’ve send the same situation develop around Aleppo.Even Lavrov mentioned that all the stalling over “humanitarian corridors” led to only benefiting the US supplied terrorists.And they were able to add thousands of more fighters to their positions.When is it going to be realized that “talk alone” only helps Russia’s enemies.After 3 years ,isn’t it about time to figure that out.

This is why I don’t have any respect for Putin and Lavrov. Being on friendly terms with EU (who sanction us) and NATO (who want to militarily destroy us) is the equivalent of being a cuckold and raising another man’s children.

What is the significance of Yekaterinburg as the center for foreign policy these days, with Kerry in June, now Steinmeier visiting… Moscow or St. Petersburg are not good enough?

Why make Steinmeier go so far?

Notice Steinmeier and others suffering from the heat. No air conditioning available for the talks is hard to believe. Is this intentional? This was a Steinmeier roast? Lavrov seems to deal with the heat better.

This is interesting to consider! I noticed Lavrov say that Steinmeier came away from his vacation to participate in this event. So, is Lavrov saying that it was the Russian Foreign Ministry that arranged for this, not Steinmeier? If so, maybe it was intended to turn up the heat. Lavrov is so exceptionally subtle, he could certainly pull something like that off.

They were there “officially” for the opening of a joint “Russian-German School”. Sort of an exchange program I believe. And decided to take that opportunity for a meeting (at least that is what they are saying).

“Saudi intelligence officers have been training at least 7,000 anti-Syria fighters in Jordan’s territories and plan to dispatch them to the war-hit country via its Southern borders to distract the army from the war in Aleppo, Arab media disclosed.

“Over 7,000 men have been trained in a Saudi-established military camp in Jordan near the border with Syria’s Dara’a province, and now they are ready to be dispatched to join other terrorists’ battle against the Syrian government and army,” the Lebanese al-Manar reported.

“There are several British and western military trainers and advisors in the Saudi-established camp. The western officers are to accompany the fighters in their war against the Syrian government,” the paper said.”

In fact, why does Russia engage at all in the filthy business of selling arms to whomever has the money? It seems to me that all pretense to morality on the part of the Russians breaks down here.
=================

Dated Aug13.
Same story, just recent, started a month ago at least, most notably with that meeting mid-July USA Carter & that Saud turd (freshly squeezed out!).
Note they always use power numbers in their plans, here 7, since it “invokes” favor with their war god.

And even better question would be “why” those seven thousand training terrorists are not being hit in a massive bombing raid.If Jordan is allowing the training of terrorists on their territory they don’t get to claim “neutrality” as a protection. They have made themselves a target by doing that.Its foolish to let a force of enemy fighters be trained and then be able to be sent to fight against your forces. They should be eliminated at the start.

Jordan has been the main training base for CIA operations in the Middle East since 2003 when they first set up camps there to assemble and re-train soldiers from the disbanded Iraqi Army. That was the birth of Daesh.

Probably OT and only rumors.
An American officer was killed in Kharkov. He was drunk (there were also other American solders ?, I didn’t understand well), hanging in a pub with local prostitutes. American officer was found by a waiter lying in a pool of blood in a toilet much later after his death occurred. Searching for suspects and witnesses is difficult because the pub doesn’t have surveillance cameras.

Apparently very few people commenting on this article are aware of what the purpose of diplomacy is, nor are particularly any good at poker or chess. The websayanim obviously are simply doing their usual chickensh*t bashing, but the rest of you really should take a deep breath, pop open a beer and calm down.

vot tak, I have to say, your comment seems to be completely accurate. To be honest, I thought this meeting went badly. No progress, more obstacles and hostility between Germany and Russia… Looked like a down turn in relations to me. And then I read the Russian analysts’ reviews of this meeting, including Popov’s on Fort Russ and an article on Sputnik, and the Russian experts are extremely positive and encouraged by what happened yesterday. I couldn’t believe it. The comments weren’t even cautious, they were quite openly enthusiastic, in my opinion.

So, yep, it looks like a brew and some down time (maybe seated outdoors in a lawn chair) are exactly what’s called for.

Agreed…maybe meeting will show steinm. Is completely valueless, hapless merkel still rules their roost, and severe criticisms of OSCE in Donbas have been mounting…….and their chairmanship of that and any influence in Minsk or persuasive talking to poro is worse than useless in Germany’s hands……..poro clearly is a blustering delusional fool and by association, both french and german governments I surmise are joining that club.Rus “politely”likes to point out the obvious?

BTW I have given up using capitol letters in these peoples names as a reflection of the little ie no respect I have them.
Thanks for posting article .

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